Crystal Palace will host Arsenal at Selhurst Park in what promises to be a Premier League fixture full of fireworks on the 21st of December 2024. Both teams will aim to secure a vital three points as they continue their respective campaigns. With Palace looking to assert themselves as a solid mid-table side and Arsenal chasing silverware, this match is set to captivate fans.
The Eagles take on one of the league’s top teams and their fans will hope they take flight and carry all three points from their London rivals. Arsenal, on the other hand, will aim to underline their title credentials in what could be a tricky away fixture.
Crystal Palace have built a reputation as a very difficult team to beat under their manager Oliver Glasner. Known for their ability to frustrate opponents with a compact defensive setup, Palace can also be dangerous on the counterattack, as the likes of Ismaila Sarr and Eddie Nketiah have pace.
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Crystal Palace have been consistent in making Selhurst Park a challenging ground for visiting teams in the past years. Their midfield has energy and skill with the likes of Adam Wharton and Eberechi Eze running the show, while their attackers can be quite deadly.
Jean Phillip Mateta has enjoyed the tenure of manager Oliver Glasner and has hit his highest tally under the manager. However, facing a team of Arsenal’s calibre will require a strong performance across all areas of the pitch.
A positive result (draw or win) here would greatly help Palace’s cause as they are currently in the relegation zone (18th). Fans can now getCrystal Palace tickets for their team’s matches from an online resale store.
Arsenal is certainly one of the Premier League’s most storied clubs. They will enter this fixture with high expectations as they are gunning to contend for the Premier League title. The Gunners have been a force to reckon with this season, though they have sluggered off as they have lost two of their last five games, winning one in all competitions.
Their last Premier League game saw them held at Stamford Bridge 1-1 against arch rivals Chelsea. They took the lead through Gabriel Martinelli but were quickly pegged back thanks to a fine strike from Pedro Neto.
Though they had a late chance that was fumbled by Leandro Trossard, that draw continued a loss of form for Mikel Arteta and his men. The 42 year old manager believes that his side will have to ‘show teeth’ in order to bounce back into the title race this season. Here are hiswords in details;
“ Win, win and win because these guys, they don’t stop winning, so that’s what we have to do,” Arteta said.
“When it gets nasty, show your teeth and show how much you want it. When it’s Disneyland, it’s easy, everyone is next to you and telling you how beautiful you are and when it gets dark and difficult, everyone is questioning it. That’s when I want to see people, that’s when I’m always looking around.
“There is nothing we can change today about that [the league table]. What I am just praying for is that after the international break I have the team fully equipped physically, they are available and they are fit because it has been an absolute nightmare for eight weeks.
“Issue after issue, not only the ones that are not able to play, but the ones that are able to play only for certain moments, only for certain days, not able to train. So I’m just asking that because the team, the desire that they have and how much we want it, there’s no question about that. So, it’s going to come, we just need that on our side to be able to be more consistent.”
“I’m disappointed with the result because I think we deserved more and at the same time I’m very proud of the team, the way we played here against this opponent, in this stadium, they have battered every opponent here and obviously it wasn’t the case today,” Arteta said.
“But after doing the most difficult thing, scoring the first goal, very disappointed with how we conceded the goal, nowhere near the standards, our defensive habits, how we allowed that and the moment you allow that space and time to any of their players with the quality they have you’re going to get punished, so that’s not bad luck.”
“But in the end, the team showed its teeth, how much they wanted it, they took risks, full determination, put Chelsea under every problem. We were very aggressive, we created three big chances and unfortunately we weren’t able to put the ball in the net to win and I think the team deserves it”.
This game could be an opportunity for Arsenal to recover lost grounds and fight back in the title race.
Match Tickets
Selhurst Park is a stadium that offers a fantastic matchday experience, with a capacity of around 25,000. Fans can expect an electric atmosphere asCrystal Palace vs Arsenal tickets face off in this much-anticipated Premier League clash.
Tickets for the game can be purchased through the official websites of both clubs and other authorised sellers. Given the popularity of this fixture, securing tickets early is highly recommended. For those unable to go to the stadium, the match will be broadcast live on major sports networks.
Team news
Crystal Palace purchased former Arsenal striker Eddie Nketiah in the summer and it will be interesting to see if he starts in the game against his former side.
Lineups
Crystal Palace
Henderson, La Croix, Chalobah, Guehi, Mitchell, Munoz, Devenny, Eze, Kamada, Mateta, Sarr
Arsenal
Raya, White, Saliba, Gabriel, Timber, Rice, Odegaard, Partey, Saka, Martinelli, Havertz.
Prediction
Palace will look to frustrate Arsenal and hit on the counter, while Arsenal will aim to impose their style of play and create opportunities through the likes of Saka and Odegaard. Both teams have the players that can score, but Arsenal’s superior depth and quality could prove decisive.
Crystal Palace 1-3 Arsenal